Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court

This is a fascinating book. Lucy Worsley has written an account of the courts of the Hanoverian Georges by highlighting a few of the people who lived and worked there. She starts the book by talking about the Grand Staircase at Kensington Palace which has a painting of forty-five of the court servants apparently looking at us over the banisters. There was a huge, and well documented, battle between the old guard of the artistic establishment, as personified by John Thornhill, Hogarth's father-in-law, and William Kent one of the new Italianates. This account sets the tone of the book. Through letters and diaries, gossip and rumour, the picture of court life is built up in a most enjoyable way. Lucy Worsley writes with a light and amusing touch, so that even though we are absorbing a lot of information, it is highly entertaining. In addition to the royal family, we meet many of the great names of the eighteenth century (who, to me, were just the dry old sticks of history lessons) - Sir Robert Walpole, Lord Chesterfield, Pope and Gay to mention just a few, and we meet them through their own words and what other people (often bitchily) said about them. There are lots of pictures within the text and a glorious colour section in the middle. Of course, not everyone mentioned can be pictured in the book, so I have spent a happy afternoon googling characters to see what they looked like. The book is well indexed and referenced so you are well prepared for further research.

Felt like old fashion history as I have read similar books in the 1970s revolving around Queen Victoria's court but in the end this did not distract from the fact that it was well written and deeply interesting. Dealing with the times of George 1st and George 2nd it concentrates on the personnalities of the court to bring this period alive. However I do not think that the book really brought out just how political the court still was [for instance the 'The Garter Crises' involving Earl Temple and nearly brought down a government is only obliquely mentioned]. But I do agree with the other reviewers that it is 'very readable - very interesting - very worthwhile! And that the peiople 'come alive as Worsely has creatively depicted their intriguing lives.'. The Kindle edition I read was a model of its kind with links to the notes, a full, and again linked, index and a good bibliography. The plates at the end came out surprissingly well. However it also showed up the Kindle's limitations in that it was impossible to read the family tree at the beginnning even when using the zoom.

An extremely well researched book. I've rarely seen such an extensive collection of footnotes in such a readable book. The subject matter interested me as I knew less about the Georgian age than I do about the Medieval and Tudor periods, which were the main focus of my studies. I knew the "big" stories, but was fascinated by the amount of information about the day-to-day lives of the courtiers. It is a well written book. In fact, as I read, I could hear Ms Worsley's voice. She is an excellent presenter, and this ability to explain clearly comes out in the book. I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone who knows little about the Georgians or to a student of that period.

This is popular history at its best - a really engaging read which takes you behind the scenes at the Georgian court and gives an insight into what it was really like to live in such august circumstances (not quite such an easy life as you might think). Worsley combines a thorough knowledge of the subject with a knack for telling an entertaining story, and takes the reader on a roam around behind the scenes and behind the public face of the monarchy. I knew very little about Georgian history before I read this book, and had quite irrationally dismissed it as not nearly as interesting as the nineteenth century, but this book has left me wanting to know more. It is a must for anyone who really enjoys social and domestic history - here we have domestic history on a grand scale, but the detail of the everyday life of such Georgian grandees makes for very interesting reading. It is not a long book - in fact I was sorry to finish it, and it is not a demanding read, but neither is it facile or superficial. A great book to take on holiday, or to retreat to after a hard day's work - your brain won't hurt with the effort of reading it, but you will learn interesting things and be entertained all the same.

Absolutely fabulous book. Meticulous research from Lucy which she has been able to convert into wonderful prose in explaining the Georgian period. A book of learning and much enjoyment.

Concentrates mainly on the scandalous and sensational issues, giving a somewhat unbalanced picture. Well-written though, with good grammar, which makes a change these days.

After reading this informative and scandalous history from the periods of George 1and George 2 we can probably take solace from the fact they are not as bad as their ancestors used to be. This book about the Palace Courtiers explain their functions. As well as dressing, bathing etc many were expected to be mistresses and aexual playthings for their Royal masters. The book is interesting and concise and written by the curator of the Royal Palaces, and one of my favourite historians, Lucy Worsley. The book is long (nearly 600 pages) but it is a very good read. 4 stars

I can highly recommend this book if you like to read about social history. I learned so much about the Georgian era thanks to this book. It was a real eye-opener, and in hindsight, I hadn't know anything about this phase in the British history apart from names and dates, but now I have the context too. It's so well written that I looked forward to every evening to continue it. Straight after this book I read Lucy Worsley's book on Queen Victoria, which is a great continuation to this book.

I really enjoyed reading this. Very easy to get through, not tedious in any way as some 'historical docunovels, can be. The author writes very much as she talks to us on the television and so the book is quite entertaining. We, for those of us who know little about this period, get to learn quite a lot. I am looking forward to the second volume about the next two Georges. Hopefully!

It is interesting but very slow...a year later and I haven't finished it, keep dipping in&out. It doesn't seem to hold my attention.

I very much enjoy the way the Lucy Worsley writes her books. She takes a slightly different tack and instead of the traditional straight narrative she approaches the subject in a different manner. In this case she discussed the Georgian period by talking about individuals in a painting in Kensington Palace. You are informed about the period but in a, to my mind, delightful way. She used the similar "different" method of approach in Cavalier writing about the period of the Great Revolution.

I learned more about the personalities of the Hanovarian kings and their wives, children, and court with this book than I did reading individual biographies. These people and their social lives came alive in this book. I recommend this to anyone having an interest in this period.

If you thought today's society is unique in its fascination with the personal lives of the glitterati, you thought wrong. "The Courtiers" presents the drama and intrigue surrounding George I and George II in Great Britain. In his time, it was expected that the king should have a royal mistress. The position was even granted a title and stipend. George I had two at court while he imprisoned his wife for infidelity. We are given to believe that George II had one only as a sense of propriety, not from a lack of love for the delightful Queen Caroline. Relegated to a footnote in history, George I and his court grants a fascinating glimpse of his life, times, and accomplishments. Who dines and dances with whom, how one wears their hair, and any minor mishap became fodder for rampant gossip. At times I found the text a little dense and hard to follow, but overall engaging.